A Mother's Wish
by spartiechic
Summary: Sequel to A Father's Promise. Sarah and Jareth have been living their happily ever after, until Epifanio shows up again to exact his revenge. Will Sarah and Jareth get to forever?
1. Once Upon A Time

**A/N:** Welcome to the sequel to A Father's Promise. Please review and make suggestions! I live for reviews. Each review I receive equals more incentive to update. Hee Hee…Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, but the few characters that appear here and aren't in the movie. Now I'm sad…need a little Jareth to pick me up again…

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby. And the baby was a spoiled child, and wanted everything to himself, and the young girl was practically a slave. But what no one knew is that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she called on the goblins for help!_ _"Say your right words," the goblins said, "and we'll take the baby to the castle, and you will be free!" But the girl knew, that the Goblin King would keep the baby in his castle for ever and ever and ever, and turn it into a goblin! And so the girl suffered in silence. Until one day, when she was tired from a day of housework, and she was hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother, and she could no longer stand it she called upon the goblins to take away her baby brother. _

_The Goblin King appeared in her parent's room and offered the girl her dreams to replace her brother. The young girl knew that she had to right this wrong, to get her brother back. It had been a foolish wish, but what's said is said. The Goblin King took pity on the girl and gave her a chance to run his Labyrinth to find the child. She accepted the challenge. Along the way, she learned valuable lessons and met new friends. She faced many hardships and dangers, but still she made it to the castle beyond the Goblin City. _

_When she finally found the King, she only had moments left to go. The young girl had forgotten that the King was in love with her. He tried to make her see to get her to stay, but the girl was stubborn and refused. He reminded her that he had been generous, but the girl was too young to understand. He asked her to let him rule her, but she was willful and defied him. Finally, sensing she was about to say the words and leave the Underground, he begged her to fear him, love him, do as he asked, and he would be her slave. She hesitated for just a moment and said the words, taking her power away from him. He sent her back to the Aboveground and waited for another chance._

_The King of the Goblins would check in with the girl for he could not forget her. He came to her in her dreams. The girl still didn't understand his feelings for her. She became angry that he was watching her and invading her dreams. She called for the High Queen to put a stop to it. The High Queen talked to her son. What neither the Goblin King nor the girl knew was that the girl was no ordinary girl. She was a Fae princess. The High King had made a promise long before their births. He betrothed the princess to the King. The Fates had matched the two long ago and it was their destiny to meet._

_The Princess returned to the Underground. She met her mother, whom she hadn't seen in such a long time. She made lots of friends. She even made friends with the Goblin King himself. It wasn't long after that she realized she had fallen in love with the King. There were others who didn't want the beautiful Princess to marry the Handsome King. They wanted the Princess to marry the evil Epifanio. They put a spell on the Princess and made her solve another Labyrinth. With the help of her friends, the young Princess made it through to the end and saved her King. _

_Together, they vanquished the evil Epifanio and his family. They married by the due time and had two very beautiful children. And they all lived Happily Ever After…The End._

"Why didn't the Princess know that the King was in love with her mommy?" Pistis asked.

"Because the girl was too young to understand true love," Sarah explained, tucking her five-year-old daughter into bed.

"Can I have a glass of water," Erastos asked.

"You already had two," Sarah reminded her five-year-old son. "Now go to sleep both of you."

Jareth watched his wife tell the story and felt his heart swell with love for the woman. She was the mother of his children, his best friend, and his life. He couldn't imagine going on without her. He looked down at his hand and traced the outline of his mark symbolizing his marriage. The best day of his life until the day his children were born. He walked up to her and put his arm around her waist.

"Do as your mother tells you," Jareth warned, when he sensed the whines beginning to start. Both children looked at him and settled into their beds. He tucked in his son and gave both children a kiss on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams," Sarah said, leaving the room.

"Goodnight, my children," Jareth said, leaving the two alone. He looked around and saw her head into their chambers.

Sarah stood by the window, watching the moon over the Labyrinth. She felt a pair of warm arms snake across her waist and she turned her head to him and smiled. Jareth nipped her ear and whispered, "I thought we'd never get them to bed."

Sarah felt a familiar sensation of heat course throughout her body. It made her feel good that her husband still wanted her after five years of marriage and twins. Jareth thought she looked even more beautiful after having his children. Her green eyes sparkled and her ebony hair looked like a crown piled on her head. Her red lips were so inviting that he couldn't resist capturing a kiss.

Jareth could sense some hesitation from Sarah. "What's wrong, my Love?" he asked.

"I was just thinking about Epi," Sarah replied. She looked back out into the Labyrinth.

Jareth understood his wife's trepidation. They still had not caught the man who almost tore them apart. He could feel anger rising as he thought about how close he had come to losing her and how worried his wife was now. He ran his hands to her shoulders and began to massage the tense muscles.

"It's ok, my Love," he cooed. "We will find him. He cannot hurt us now. The moment he steps foot in this Kingdom, we will capture him and make him pay for what he has done."

Sarah turned to face her husband. She smiled at him and pressed her lips to his. His arms went around her, pulling her body to his. Suddenly, he pulled away and groaned loudly. She giggled, knowing what the groan had to mean.

"Summons?" Sarah asked.

"Of course," Jareth replied.

"It's your turn, my Love," she reminded him.

"I know, I know," he said, irritation creeping into his voice. He produced a crystal and threw it up in the air. When it came down, he was dressed in his full black Goblin King regalia.

Sarah pulled him closed and gave him a kiss. "You're so sexy in black," she teased. "Hurry back."

Jareth smirked and said, "wait for me." He disappeared into a cloud of glitter. Sarah went back to staring out the window, keeping watch over the Labyrinth.

* * *

Epi sat in his cave, watching the touching scene through his crystal. Sarah was telling her children a bedtime story. He couldn't hear her through the crystal, but he could see her loving smile as she put them to bed. He returned the smile, pretending that the dark haired little girl and the blond boy were his children. They should have been his children. She should've been his wife. Suddenly Jareth's face came into view. He put his arm around Sarah's waist and said something to the children. Enraged, Epi threw the crystal against the wall and watched it shatter.

That man had been the cause of all his problems. He stole Sarah from him and gave her his children. _Soon, Goblin King, soon. My plan is about to be set into motion. You will pay._

* * *

An hour later, Jareth returned to the castle. The boy who had summoned him was wandering around outside the Labyrinth cursing. Jareth checked in on the little boy who had been wished away. The three-year-old was wearing Superman pajamas. He led him to the nursery and tucked him in, thinking of his own children sleeping in another part of the castle. He called Tenny in to watch over him while he went to find his wife.

Jareth walked into his chambers, looking around for Sarah. He chuckled softly when his eyes rested on her sleeping frame in the chair. Walking softly, he went to her and scooped her out of the chair. He laid her on their bed and waved his hand over her, changing her into her nightgown. He kissed her forehead and went back to the throne room to monitor the progress of his latest runner.

* * *

Early the next morning, Sarah was awaken by squeals and laughter. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Looking over, she realized that she was alone in bed. A smile crossed her face as she thought about her husband. The man had probably slept in his throne again waiting for the runner to finish. She stepped out of bed and called for Irini. The little woman had agreed to stay on as her lady's maid and move to the Goblin Kingdom. Although Sarah could get ready with her magic, she preferred the companionship of the maid. Using magic also used energy that she needed to take care of two rambunctious five-year-olds and a castle full of goblins.

Irini stepped in the room, smiling at Sarah. "Good morning Sarah," she said, cheerfully.

"Good morning Irini," Sarah replied. She slipped out of her nightgown and headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Irini hummed as she looked in the wardrobe to find a gown for Sarah to wear. Her eyes rested upon a soft blue muslin dress. She pulled it out and set it on the bed. Pulling out accessories, she added them to the dress. She walked over the window and opened the curtains, letting light stream into the room. Holding out her hand, a large appointment book appeared before her. She sat at the vanity, looking over Sarah's day.

Sarah walked out of the bathroom and saw Irini concentrating on her schedule. She sighed. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Irini looked up and said, "you have to see the cook about dinner for the twins' birthday, you have to meet with the planner to go over the details for the ball, and you have to handle a maid dispute."

"What is the problem this time?" Sarah asked, as she dried herself.

Irini chuckled. "It seems that one of the maids feels that she has too much work and accused another maid of being lazy," she replied.

Sarah rolled her eyes. Irini helped her into the dress and began to work on her hair. The two friends chatted while she got ready. Soon she was done and her quiet time with Irini was done. Sarah arose and went to the door to start her day. As soon as she stepped outside, she was nearly run down by three children running through the halls followed by their nanny, an Elf who was older than the High King himself.

"Mommy!" Pistis and Erastos shouted in unison. Sarah looked over at the smaller child in Superman pajamas.

"Who's your friend?" she asked, smiling.

"This is Christopher," Pistis said, pointing to the little brown haired boy.

"Hi Christopher," Sarah said, holding out her hands. The little boy shied away. "It's ok Christopher. You can call me Sarah. I won't hurt you." He stepped towards her and let her lift him up onto her hip. She remembered when her own children had been this small. "Should we go see daddy?" she asked her children.

"Yay!" they shouted.

Sarah carried the little boy to the Throne Room, while her children danced around her feet. She had to laugh at them. They were so full of energy. She wished she could bottle it and use it herself. Opening the doors to the Throne Room, she spotted Jareth sitting on the throne with his leg over the side looking through a crystal. As they walked in, he looked up and smiled. The twins ran over to their father and jumped onto his lap. He grimaced as a foot jabbed a very sensitive area. Sarah laughed out loud at his pained expression. He gave her a little glare as he settled both of his children into his lap.

"Have you met Christopher?" she asked.

"Not until now, my dear," he replied.

"Lord Christopher, this is Jareth, the Goblin King," she said, introducing the two.

"Hello Christopher," Jareth said. "Would you like to go play with Pistis and Erastos for a moment?"

The little boy nodded his head. The two children jumped from their father's lap and ran over to Sarah, who put the little boy down so he could play. They ran from the room, laughing together. Sarah watched them leave and giggled.

Jareth walked over to her and put his arms around her. "You didn't stay up for me, my Love," he pouted.

"I'm sorry," she responded. "I was just so tired. We'll have some time to ourselves this afternoon. Pistis and Erastos have magic class at two o'clock. I don't have anything to do from two until four."

"It's a date," he said, nuzzling into her neck. She closed her eyes and tried to stop her racing heart. He smiled against her skin, aware of the effect he was having on her.

"I have to go to an appointment, Jareth," she sighed, pulling away from him. "I'll see you back here at two."

"Here?" he asked.

"It's been awhile since we had a little fun in here," she said, winking as she left.

Jareth sat back on his throne and grinned. Two o'clock couldn't come soon enough. He turned his attention back onto the clock. Only two more hours left until the runner's time was up. He wasn't even to the hedge maze. He'd never make it. Jareth continued to monitor his progress while thinking of all the interesting things he could do to Sarah later.


	2. Bad News

**A/N:** Whew! Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. I've been lost in one of my other stories for a moment. I'd like to thank SlytherinGoddess09, chichi89, and GeeAnnaB for their most awesome reviews. Thanks also to everyone who has favorited this story and/or set it for a story alert. Please keep the reviews coming. It makes me want to update sooner! Suggestions are always welcome.

**Disclaimer:** Tried to create a crystal out of no where but realizes she doesn't own anything and, therefore, cannot do magic.

* * *

****WARNING – SMUT AHEAD****

Sarah's mind went over her day as she walked through the halls of the castle. The twins' birthday ball was taking up much of her time. Although her children had turned five two weeks prior, the ball had been scheduled for this weekend to accommodate several of their guests. She had met with the chef to help plan the dinner with a good combination of her children's favorites and food that the adults would enjoy as well. The ball was being handled by a planner who had come recommended by her mother-in-law. Sarah had to admit that the planner was wonderfully creative and knew how to make the ball appropriate for both children and adults. Unfortunately, the planner always had to run things by her in meetings that seemed to go all day.

Opening the door, Sarah stepped into the Throne Room to find her husband asleep on his thone. _Poor dear_. With a wave of her hand, the doors all became sealed. She tiptoed over to him and hiked her dress to her hips. Her eyes danced devilishly as she first placed one knee next to his leg followed by the other knee until she was straddling him. She put her arms around his neck and placed her lips onto his. Jareth's eyes flew open to find his wife kissing him. His mouth turned up into a smirk as he placed his hands on his wife's firm bottom. He deepened the kiss, tasting the inside of her mouth with his tongue. She moaned into his mouth.

Sarah moved her lips to his neck and stroked it gently with her tongue. She could feel his arousal pressing against her core. Reaching up, she quickly undid the ties of her gown and released her breasts from the confines of her bodice. One of his hands moved to her breast, stroking her nipple with his thumb. She gasped and arched her back. Liquid heat began to pool between her legs. The smell of spices greeted her as she burrowed into his neck. Oh how she loved his scent.

Jareth pulled her away from him for a moment, drinking in the sight before him. His wife never failed to take his breath away. She was the most beautiful creature in the Underground. At least she was to him. Her flowing raven hair fell in waves to her waist. Her creamy skin seemed to glow. Looking into her face, he noticed her luminescent green eyes darkened with desire, her red lips swollen from his kiss, and the blush that had crept over her cheeks in her arousal.

Gazing at him, Sarah was equally stunned by the beauty of her husband. She believed that he was the most handsome man both in the Aboveground and the Underground. His slender body held a strength beneath that was both scary and awe inspiring. His skin was a beautiful, almost transparent, white. Sarah's eyes trailed up the length of his torso, sending shivers throughout him. His features were angular, and so male. From the jut of his chin to his arrogant mismatched eyes, every part of him screamed royalty. Finally, Sarah grasped the strands of his long platinum, spiky hair, feeling the silky strands beneath her fingers.

Jareth could take it no longer. He put his hands on her face and pulled her close. His mouth found hers and drank her in almost possessively. Sarah waved her hand and their clothing disappeared, making him chuckle into her mouth. His hands caressed her bare back, tracing the outline of her spine. Her hands were tangled into his mess of hair.

* * *

Exhausted, after their passionate encounter, Sarah fought to catch her breath. Her head collapsed on his shoulder and his arms went around her back, holding her against him. They stayed like this for a moment, before she finally climbed off of his lap. She waved her hands again and they were fully clothed as before.

Jareth reached for her and pulled her back onto his lap. Her legs crossed at the ankles and draped over the arm of the throne. He held her about the waist and she nuzzled into his neck. They were the picture of satisfied happiness as he waved the doors open again. The Goblin King placed a kiss on the crown of his Queen's head as he looked up at the noise coming from the east door. In walked Karen, Robert, and Toby. Karen tried to hide a giggle as she realized what must have been going on a few moments before. Robert cleared his throat and managed to subdue the grin that wanted to appear on his face.

"Ewwwwwww," Toby said, unable to restrain himself. "You two need to get a room."

"Tobias!" Karen exclaimed. Her eleven-year-old son had no tact when it came to Sarah.

Jareth merely chuckled and Sarah grinned into his neck. "Hey Tobe-Man," she murmured, not bothering to move. Her breath tickled his neck, causing him to laugh again.

"I'm eleven Sar," Toby said, exasperated. "Stop calling me that!"

"I'm ever so sorry Lord Tobias," Sarah said, in mock humility.

Toby simply rolled his eyes and looked at his father for support. His father just grinned at him and shook his head. This was between the Goblin Queen and her brother. He was not going to intervene. Suddenly, twin shrieks could be heard in the hall leading to the Throne Room. The twins and their new playmate came running into the room.

"Gramma," yelled Pistis.

"Grampa," yelled Erastos.

"Uncle Toby!" they squeeled together. The two children diverted from their original goal of hugging their grandparents in favor of tackling their favorite uncle. His eyes went wide and he braced himself as they flew into him. All three were knocked to the floor. He laughed as they planted twin kisses on his cheeks.

"Toby," Sarah said. "Please take the twins into the gardens and wear them out for their naps."

"Sure sis," Toby agreed. "Come on you twin terrors. Let's go bother Hoggle."

"Yay!" they yelled. "Come on Christopher." The little boy ran after them, giggling.

"How is the runner doing?" Sarah asked when all four children had left.

"He failed," Jareth sighed. "I've found Christopher a home in one of the border Kingdoms."

"Oh good," Sarah replied. "That way he'll be close enough to visit his new friends."

Jareth smiled, pleased that his wife read into his intentions perfectly. Sarah finally sat up and looked to her parents. She ran her fingers through her hair and it went back up into the updo Irini had created that morning. Karen giggled. It never ceased to amaze her when Sarah used magic.

"What are you two doing here? The ball isn't until tomorrow," Sarah asked.

Robert smiled and answered, "because we wanted to spend some time with our grandchildren before the hordes came and swept them away."

Sarah grinned and hopped down from Jareth's lap, much to his disappointment. She ran over to her parents and wrapped them up into a hug. Throwing a wink back over her shoulder to Jareth, she led them out of the Throne Room and walked them to their room within the castle.

"You two are still like newlyweds," Karen acknowledged. "It makes me happy to see you two still enjoying each other."

Sarah blushed at the not so hidden innuendo. Robert smirked and grabbed his wife around the shoulders, leading her into the room.

"I have a meeting this afternoon, but I'll see you at dinner," Sarah said.

"Bye sweetheart," Robert replied. He was so proud of his daughter, the Goblin Queen. The couple closed the door behind them and Sarah began to walk back towards the Throne Room for round two.

A noise to her right stopped her and she went to investigate. Someone was in the High King and Queen's chambers. She frowned and opened the door a crack. A scream greeted her as she put her head into the room. Sarah blinked as she saw her mother-in-law running towards her.

"Alcina!" she exclaimed, as she was wrapped up into the High Queen's arms.

"Sarah!" cried Alcina.

Sarah turned her eyes and noticed the High King smirking at the two women. She broke their embrace to go to him.

"Leo!" she said, hugging him. Sarah truly loved her in-laws. "Why didn't you guys tell us you were coming?"

"Well," Vasileos replied. "We came to see you when we got here, but the doors to the Throne Room were mysteriously sealed." Sarah blushed again as she saw him wink, conveying his understanding and approval of the situation.

"Let's go find that son of ours," Alcina said. Sarah walked with the High couple as they filled her in on the new happenings within the Underground. Sarah couldn't help notice the subtle droop in her father-in-law's shoulders. She made a mental note to talk to him later in private about his lingering illness. It worried her as she loved him dearly.

The small group entered the Throne Room. Jareth was seated sideways on his throne juggling crystals. He looked up to see Sarah walk in with his parents.

"Well," he said. "Look at what the goblins dragged in."

"Jareth," Alcina sighed with a smile, looking at her eldest. He stood and walked over to his parents and embraced them both. His eyebrows raised when he noticed his father wince in his arms. He decided to let it go for the moment.

"The children are playing in the gardens with Hoggle," Sarah said. "I'm sure they want to see you."

"First, we must speak to you about something privately," Vasileos said. Jareth waved his hands and the doors sealed once again. Sarah produced a crystal and threw it up in the air. When it came down, a table and chairs were sitting in the middle of the room. She held out her hand, indicating to them all to take a seat.

After they were all seated at the table, Vasileos' normally mischievous eyes turned serious. "My children, what I'm about to tell you does not go outside of this room." The Goblin couple turned to each other, worry in their eyes, and they nodded to the High couple. "There's no other way to say this, so I'm just going to come right out with it. I'm dying children."

"What?" Sarah cried, looking at her father-in-law with concern. Alcina had tears in her eyes. Jareth hung his head as the words sunk in.

"It's my time, Sarah," Vasileos replied. "I'm needed in the Underworld now."

"We need to have the coronation ceremony before Vasileos passes," Alcina said.

"If anyone gets wind of how weak I am, they could try to take the throne by force," Vasileos explained. "We need you in power before the rumors begin."

"When?" Jareth asked, his voice choked with emotion.

"Next weekend," Vasileos responded. "I'm sorry for the late notice, but we couldn't get here until today."

Sarah covered her face in her hands as Jareth put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, comforting her. He looked at his parents in resignation. "Let me know if you need anything between now and next weekend," he said. "I trust your planner is already working on the arrangements." Alcina nodded. "Now, go out and see your grandchildren before they find out you were here and didn't come to see them."

Vasileos grinned, breaking the tension. The High couple rose and held out their arms. The younger couple followed suit and embraced them. "Remember, you can tell no one about this," he reminded them. Sarah and Jareth nodded and watched as the older couple vanished. Jareth took his wife into his arms and let her cry as he transported them both to their chambers. He laid them both on their bed and held her close to him. They stayed like that until Sarah left to go to her meeting.

* * *

Epifanio couldn't be bothered to watch Sarah any longer in his crystal. He had to move fast for his plan to work. Creating a crystal, he transported himself to the scene of his grand plan. The little girl was still asleep in her bed. His lips turned up into an evil, malicious smile. He waved his hand over her and the girl disappeared. Now to find the girl's mother and set his plan in motion.

* * *

In order to comply with Fanfiction's policies, I have rewritten this chapter. You can find the complete chapter on spartiechic . deviantart. com or adultfanfiction . net


	3. Circle of Life

**A/N:** Thanks to all who keep adding this story to their Favorites and Alerts. I'm glad you are enjoying this yarn. I'm sorry for the lateness of the update, but I've been very busy directing Brigadoon at the moment. Doncha hate it when real life rears it's ugly head. Thanks to Moonshadow Darksyde, GeeAnnaB, and LittleMargarita for their most awesome reviews. For your patience, I have included another M rated scene for you. **Remember, please review to keep me motivated. The more reviews the faster I update.**

**Disclaimer: **No. Sadly I don't own anything but what comes from my own crazy imagination.

* * *

****Warning - smut at the end of this chapter****

Sarah went about her duties in a haze. She could barely concentrate on settling the maid dispute. All she could think about was her father-in-law. The man was like a father to her. He was the reason that she met Jareth and fell in love. She owed her marriage, her happiness, and her children to that man. Although she knew that she would see him again eventually, it really did no good. She wanted him to stay High King. She wanted to stay Goblin Queen. Unfortunately, Sarah had learned a long time ago that life was not fair.

"Are you ok sweetie," a voice came behind her in the hall, startling her.

"I'm fine Karen," she lied. She couldn't tell anyone, including her parents, what was bothering her. She needed to act like the Queen she was and put on her most brave face.

"You looked a little sad," Karen replied. Her hand came up to her step-daughter's face and caressed it.

"I'm just a little nauseous," Sarah replied, truthfully. She had been feeling a low-grade nausea for a little over a week now. Sarah attributed it to the stress she was under while planning the ball.

"Let's get you to the healer," Karen insisted. Sarah relented, knowing that she would be fighting a losing battle should she argue with her step-mother. The pair walked down the hall until they came upon the dark door to the healer's office. At her knock, the door opened to Sarah. A long, slim hand beckoned her in.

"What can I do for you today, Your Majesty?" the healer asked, kindly.

"I haven't been feeling well for about a week," Sarah replied.

"Come, lay down on my table. Please, describe your symptoms," he ordered. Sarah climbed up on his exam table and laid down on her back. Karen stood watching her.

"A little nausea, tiredness, back pain, and just a general feeling of ickyness," she explained.

"Uh huh," the healer said, waving his hands over her body. "Just what I suspected. Would you like your step-mother in the room when I tell you the results."

Sarah suddenly got very nervous. It had to be bad if the healer wanted to send out Karen. She shook her head and silently implored him to continue.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty," he said beaming. "You're going to be a mother again."

"WHAT?" she cried. Her hands flew to her abdomen, cradling it protectively. She thought back to her last monthly and realized that she hadn't had one in a couple of months. She'd been so busy, she hadn't even thought about it. Of course, she was pregnant again. Her mouth turned into a sappy grin as she thought about the life growing inside of her. She looked at Karen and the woman had tears in her eyes. Karen helped Sarah sit up and embraced her.

"I'm pregnant," Sarah said, seemingly to herself.

"Yes sweetie, you are," Karen acknowledged.

"Go find Jareth and bring him here, please" Sarah directed. "Don't tell him a thing."

"Of course," Karen replied. "Congratulations."

Karen left to go find the Goblin King, leaving the healer alone with Sarah. He began a more thorough examination of the Goblin Queen, making sure everything was alright. Sarah reclined back onto the table and became lost in her thoughts.

"Everything appears to be fine, Your Majesty," the healer proclaimed. "You are about two months along. Would you like me to set up and appointment with the mid-wife?"

"Yes, please," Sarah replied. She wanted to make sure to give her baby the best start in life. That meant seeing the mid-wife regularly.

Jareth burst through the door, concern on his face. He hurried to her side and saw the tears on his wife's face. This worried him more. He couldn't take another loss in his life. Wasn't losing his father enough?

"Good day, Your Majesty," the healer said, winking at Sarah.

"What's going on here?" Jareth asked.

"Now Jareth, there is no need to be rude," Sarah admonished. "The healer was just examining me and he says that our baby and I are doing fine."

"I will be however I -" Jareth started, before realization struck him. He looked down at his wife who was nodding and smiling. "You're…we're…"

"Uh huh," Sarah replied. "You're going to be a daddy again, my Love."

"Oh precious," Jareth said breathlessly. He helped her into a seating position and pulled her into his embrace.

"I love you Jareth," Sarah said, holding him tight.

"I love you too Sarah," Jareth replied, not ever wanting to let her go.

* * *

Sarah and Jareth walked the Labyrinth after dinner, following their normal routine. Jareth had one arm around his wife protectively. She sighed and remembered how he was when she was pregnant with the twins. She prayed to the gods that he wouldn't be as protective as he was the last time. During her first pregnancy, he hardly let her out of his sight. Everywhere she went, either he or someone else was with her. The few times she tried to sneak out the Labyrinth to get away, she could sense him watching her through one of his crystals.

Neither of them had told anyone of the pregnancy, yet. Only Karen knew and Sarah swore her to secrecy. She wanted to do this right. After the children were asleep tonight, they planned to have everyone join them for nightcaps. Until then, the couple relished in the secret that they shared. If only Jareth's father wasn't dying, this day would be perfect. They had always wanted a big family and Sarah knew that she was ready for another baby of her own in the castle.

"What are you thinking, my love?" Jareth asked.

"I was thinking about how hard it is to feel happiness and pain at the same time," Sarah confided.

"As was I," Jareth replied. "But this is the way of life precious. Life and death are always doing a magic dance through time. Though we Fae live long lives, even we are not immortal."

Sarah nodded up at him and continued walking through the hedge maze. Soon they came upon the Wiseman and his rather talkative Hat.

"Woo woo woo!" called the Hat. "It's the ever beautiful Goblin Queen and her King."

Sarah laughed, while Jareth groaned. For some reason, the Hat had taken a shine to the Goblin Queen. That Hat was always saying nice things about her, but never addressed the Goblin King unless he was responding to something the King said first.

"Will you be quiet?" ordered the Wiseman. "Hello, Your Majesties."

"Hello Wiseman," Sarah replied. "Hello Hat."

"Good evening to the two of you," said Jareth.

"Can we help you with anything?" asked the Wiseman.

"No thank you," replied Sarah. "We're just out for a stroll. How are you both?"

"We've been bored," said the Hat. "No one has left a contribution since you, my lady."

"Speaking of which," replied Jareth. "You told Sarah nothing of any importance and then asked her to pay. I believe you own her a refund."

"Don't listen to him," said Sarah. "You told me some very important things. 'The way forward is sometimes the way back' and 'quite often it seems like we're not getting anywhere when, in fact'…"

"We are," finished the Hat. "You listened to that crap?"

"I most certainly did and it's not crap," Sarah replied. "For a long time, I thought I wasn't getting anywhere in life and then I found that I was farther along than I could have dreamed."

Sarah looked up at Jareth and smiled. He returned her smile and bent down to place a soft kiss upon her lips. The Wiseman chuckled softly while his Hat was making kiss noises.

"I guess you heard the Queen," Jareth said finally. "No need for a refund."

"We should be moving along now," Sarah said. "Goodbye, you two. Stay out of trouble."

"Goodbye, my lovely Queen," the Hat replied. The Wiseman cleared his throat and the Hat quickly said, "Oh yes, Goodbye, Your Majesty."

"Goodnight, Your Majesties," replied the Wiseman, who promptly fell asleep.

To the Wiseman's snores the Hat quipped, "It's just so stimulating being your Hat."

Jareth and Sarah shared a laugh and started back towards the castle to begin the process of putting their children to bed.

* * *

Sarah loved bathtime with her children. While they used to share a tub, the twins were getting too old to share now. Jareth usually took one, while Sarah took the other. It gave each of them a chance to have one-on-one time with the children. Tonight, Sarah had Pistis. The little girl was currently blowing bubbles off of her hand in the bath. Sarah laughed as some of the bubbles landed in her hair.

"Silly girl," Sarah cooed.

Pistis just laughed, while Sarah reached for the shampoo. She applied a liberal amount on her daughter's hair and massaged it into her head. Pistis leaned into her mother's touch. As she rinsed her hair, Alcina walked into the room. The sight of her daughter-in-law washing her granddaughter's head caused a wave of nostalgia. She remembered giving each of her children a bath in the evening.

"Gramma!" Pistis cried.

"Hi there cutie pie," Alcina replied. Sarah looked at her and smiled.

"Hi Alcina," Sarah said. "Want to give it a try?"

"Could I?" Alcina asked.

"Be my guest," Sarah replied. She stood and moved out of the way. Alcina kneeled next to the tub and grabbed the washcloth. She began to gently clean her granddaughter's soft skin. Although she looked a lot like Sarah, Alcina could see bits of her son in her granddaughter.

Sarah watched the scene before her. She thought about everything Alcina was dealing with and wondered how she'd be able to keep going after the death of Jareth. The thought of losing him made her shudder.

Alcina and Pistis chattered about life while Alcina washed her. Finally, Alcina waved her hand over the bath water and it emptied. Sarah handed her mother-in-law a towel and she began drying her granddaughter. Pistis giggled as her grandmother dried a particularly ticklish spot.

"Ok Pistis, let's get you back to your room," Sarah said. She wrapped the towel around her daughter and went to open the door.

"Oh, can't we go poof poof?" Pistis pleaded.

"You want to go poof poof, do you?" Sarah teased.

"Yeah!" Pistis replied.

"Have you been a good girl today?" Sarah asked.

"Very good, right gramma?" Pistis said.

"Oh yes, very good," Alcina replied, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, ok," Sarah conceded. She held out her hand and Pistis took it. The three of them transported into the children's room. Jareth and Erastos were already there and looked at them surprised.

"Daddy," Pistis cried. "Mommy let me go poof poof."

"She did?" Jareth asked, winking at Sarah.

"Yup!" Pistis exclaimed.

"Daddy poofed me in here, too," Erastos chimed in.

"Did he now?" Sarah asked smiling. The little boy nodded. "Pistis, come over here so I can get you into your nightgown."

Pistis ran to her mother and held her arms up. Sarah pulled her nightgown over her slim body. She grabbed the brush off of the vanity and began to comb the tangles out of her daughter's long dark hair. Pronouncing her tangle-free, Sarah pulled down the covers of her daughter's bed. Through the corner of her eye, she could see Jareth doing the same with Erastos' bed.

Both children climbed in their beds and waited for their parents to tell them a story. Tonight, it was Jareth's turn. Alcina and Sarah watched him spin a very familiar yarn.

_Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful princess. She had a very good heart and a head full of belief in everything Faerie. One day, the arrogant Goblin King was flying through the Aboveground. He saw the young girl playing in the park. She was reciting lines from a book about him and his Kingdom. He perched on a branch and listened to her until she finally went home. Every day, he would come back and watch her. Until one day, the Goblin King realized that he had fallen in love with the girl. _

_The young girl had to take care of her baby brother, until it seemed as if that was all she was doing. One night, she couldn't take any more of the crying baby. She said her right words and the baby was taken to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. The Goblin King could see that she didn't mean it, but what's said is said. He had to take the baby and give her a choice. _

_The girl was strong and had a good heart. She went through the Labyrinth, making friends and thwarting the Goblin King at every turn. He tried to scare her with a snake, but she didn't let that stop her. He tried to take away some of her hours, but she persisted. He sent the cleaners after her, but she outsmarted him and found a door to escape. He gave her an enchanted peach that was supposed to make her forget everything, but the girl managed to break the spell and remember her quest. Finally, he led her to a room of stairs and gave her the only thing left…himself. She was too young to see what he was offering her. _

_Though it made the Goblin King very sad to see her go, he knew that he couldn't keep her there. He loved her and love meant being able to let her return. He flew to her window and watched as she had a party with her friends from the Labyrinth. It made him sad that she didn't invite him. Finally, he flew up into the sky leaving the girl to her friends._

_The End_

"Daddy," Pistis said. "That wasn't the last time the Goblin King saw the girl."

"I know it isn't," Jareth said. "It's getting late and you need your rest. You have a party tomorrow night."

"Do you still love mommy like you did back then?" Erastos asked.

"No son," Jareth replied. At his son's confused expression, he continued, "I love her even more. Now go to sleep, both of you." He tucked both of his children into their beds and said goodnight. Sarah and Alcina came along after him and gave each of the children goodnight kiss. Finally, Sarah turned off the light and walked with her husband and Alcina to Jareth's study.

Vasileos, Karen, Robert and Lyndora were already there. Sarah hugged Lyndora tight and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. Alcina took her place next to her husband. Jareth poured everyone a drink. Sarah waved her hand over her nightcap and changed it to iced ginger tea.

"You're probably wondering why we asked you in here," Sarah started. She looked to Karen, who was already beaming.

"We have some good news that we wanted to share," Jareth said. "It seems our little family is about to get bigger." Sarah's hand went to her abdomen, stroking it gently.

"Congratulations!" Lyndora exclaimed, embracing her daughter.

"Jareth, my boy, well done," Vasileos said, clapping a hand on his son's back.

"Another grandchild," giggled Alcina.

"My little girl is having another baby," Robert said, smiling.

"I'm so happy for you both," Karen said, grinning.

Jareth and Sarah said their thank yous and allowed the grandparents to touch Sarah's still flat stomach. Jareth grinned as he talked to his father. It was apparent that he was very proud of himself. Sarah rolled her eyes at her arrogant husband. Some things would never change. They talked for at least a couple of hours before all three couples retired to their separate rooms.

"Come here, my beautiful Queen," Jareth said with a familiar glint in his eye. Sarah giggled and walked to him.

Jareth pulled her head to him in a passionate kiss. Sarah's lips parted and allowed her husband access to her mouth. His hands sought out her breasts and began to massage her nipples through her gown. Sarah moaned into his mouth. She could feel her blood begin to warm with his touch. Jareth picked her up and carried her to the bed without taking his mouth away from the exploration of her lips.

Gently, he placed her on the bed and looked at his gorgeous wife. She had let her hair down through magic and it fanned over the pillow. Even after all these years, she still took his breath away. She giggled under his intense stare.

"Don't tell me you still haven't learned your lesson," he teased.

"What lesson is that, my Lord?" she asked.

"You still laugh at your King," he replied. He sat on the bed and rolled her over on her stomach over his legs. He began placing light spanks on her supple and sexy derriere. She squirmed and giggled as he applied his "punishment."

The writhing on his nether regions was producing the desired effect. She could feel him growing hard underneath her. Flipping her on her back, Jareth bent down to claim his wife's lips once again. Slowly, he began to magically unbutton the buttons down the back of her dress. He levitated her off the bed and the dress fell off of her body, leaving her bare to the waist. Floating in the air, he came to meet her.

"We've never tried this before," he whispered against her ear. His hot breath caused her to shiver slightly.

"I'm game if you are," she replied breathlessly.

Sarah's hands came up and removed his shirt. He kicked his boots off and they fell to the floor. His hands came to her waist and slid her pantalettes down her long legs. She reached over to his waist and began to remove his pants until both of them were suspended naked in the air.

The weightlessness caused an almost euphoric feeling. It heightened all of the sensations in their bodies. Each little touch sent waves of pleasure through them both. It wasn't long before they both found their release.

They held onto each other as they remained suspended above their bed. Their hearts beat in perfect synchronation. Jareth placed whisper kisses over her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and lips. He couldn't believe how much he loved her. She smiled at him and in her eyes, he saw the same love returned to him. He felt almost giddy with happiness. She was having his baby; she loved him; she was the mother of his children. If his father weren't dying, he'd say his life was pretty close to perfect.

Slowly he lowered them to their bed. With a wave of his hand, she was clothed in her nightgown and he in his sleep pants. Still in an embrace, they fell asleep to dream of each other.

* * *

Sometime in the night, Pistis awoke with a scream. Erastos climbed out of his bed to comfort her. She cried "mommy" over and over again. Finally, he led her out of their room and into their parents. Opening the door quietly, he escorted her inside. He could see his parents sleeping together in a hug. He climbed into bed and helped Pistis get in next to him. They crawled between their parents, who were starting to wake up by this time.

"Pistis sweetheart, is everything ok?" Sarah asked.

"I had a bad dream," Pistis replied. "A bad man took you mommy and daddy couldn't find you."

"Shhhh," Sarah crooned. "It's ok my good little girl. It was just a dream. See, mommy's still here."

The little girl began to calm down and yawned. "Can I sleep with you and daddy tonight?" she asked.

"Of course, my precious," Sarah replied. Jareth and Sarah parted from each other to allow room for their children to sleep in between. The children fell asleep quickly, followed close behind by their parents. The family looked very peaceful as they slept through 'til morning.

* * *

Epifanio waited for the woman to come to check on her daughter. He could be very patient when he wanted to. Soon, the next part of his plan would be set in motion. He needed the element of surprise to get what he wanted. It wouldn't do for him to try to find the young mother. She had to come to him. _Soon, my Queen, you will be mine and Jareth will be just a bad memory._

* * *

In order to comply with Fanfiction's policies, I have rewritten this chapter. You can find the complete chapter on spartiechic . deviantart. com or adultfanfiction . net


	4. She's Going To Say The Words

**A/N:** I am so sorry it took me this long to get the next chapter up. Shame on me! I will have to send myself to the nearest oubliette as punishment. Maybe there, I'll have time to update this more regularly. If you are ever curious as to where I am in a story, please check out my profile. I do update that very regularly. I want to thank BonesDoUrden , serena221, Emmettismylover, lonely 27, totally well done, JHaines, and LittleMargarita for their awesome reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. The plot's really going to start moving forward with this chapter. **Remember – reviews make me happy and happy people update faster.**

**Disclaimer: **Nope…none of the Labyrinth stuff is mine. I do own the characters that weren't in the movie.

* * *

The next morning, Sarah awoke with a start. There was a feeling of weight on her and she struggled to figure out what it could be. Blinking her eyes in the light, she saw the culprit. Pistis was flung over her and clinging to her white nightdress. Sarah took her hand and smoothed the hair on her daughter's head. Looking over at her husband, she could see him smiling back at her.

"Methinks it's time to wake the little goblins up," Sarah whispered.

"I would agree with you, my love," Jareth replied.

Sarah gave him a devilish grin and began a series of tickle torture on her little girl. Pistis awoke with a laugh. Jareth did the same to Erastos and soon both of their children were laughing and wiggling around in the bed.

"Alright," Sarah said. "Time for all good goblins to wake up. We've got a lot to do before your party tonight."

Pistis and Erastos hopped out of the bed and ran towards the door, excited about the prospect of having their birthday ball that evening. Jareth waved his hands and locked the door, stopping them from exiting. He called for the nanny to come and get them ready for the day. A moment later the older woman was at the door. He released the locks and she took the children to their bedroom to get dressed.

Jareth collected his wife in his arms, rubbing his hand along her smooth abdomen. The miracle of life never ceased to amaze him. Sarah looked at him and smiled, placing her smaller hand over his. They stayed that way until Irini knocked on the door to begin dressing Sarah.

"Hello, My Lady," she said cheerfully. She walked over to the window and threw open the draperies. Turning towards the bed, she gave a little squeak. "I'm so sorry Your Majesties. I didn't realize you two were in here together. I'll just take my leave and let you two be alone."

Irini began walking towards the door. "Stop Irini," Sarah called. "I need to start getting ready for the day. We have visitors and they cannot be kept waiting. His Majesty was just leaving."

Jareth grinned and gave her a kiss on the nose. He climbed out of bed and magically changed his clothes. Bending down, he gave her a sweet kiss and then planted another one on her stomach. She giggled and he took his leave.

Looking at her mistress, Irini could tell something was different. She helped Sarah get out of bed and then set about making the room up again as she bathed. Just as she was looking over the schedule for the day, it came to her. Could there be another prince or princess on the way? Sarah stepped out of the bathroom and Irini looked at her with a knowing grin.

"My Lady!" Irini exclaimed. She ran over to her mistress as fast as her legs could carry. Taking her into her embrace, she hugged her tight.

"My goodness Irini," Sarah laughed. "You act as if I'm the first woman to have a baby."

"A baby is a precious thing," Irini replied. "I'm just so happy for you and the King."

"Well, we're happy as well," Sarah returned. "Thank you Irini. Now what's on my plate today, besides the ball tonight."

Irini waved her hand and the planner appeared. Thumbing through it, she found the correct page. "You have your final fitting along with Pistis', greeting of guests starts at four o'clock when they are scheduled to start arriving, and another maid dispute to settle."

Sarah rolled her eyes. Sometimes a Queen's work was never done. "What is it now?" she asked.

"One of the maids is accusing another of flirting with the King to get a cushier job," Irini said, giggling. As if one of the goblin maids had a chance of bedding the King with such a beautiful Queen. He was much too devoted to Sarah to break his vows. Sarah sighed and finished drying off.

Holding out her undergarments, Irini handed them to Sarah and went to get the dress Sarah would need for the day. After Sarah had slipped on her stockings and underwear, Irini helped her into her gown. Sarah sat at her vanity and gossiped with Irini as the older woman put her hair up for the day. When she was finished, Sarah gave Irini a kiss on the cheek and thanked her again for the congratulations she had bestowed. She left the confines of her chambers to find her mother. She hadn't had much time to talk to Lyndora yesterday.

Walking along the corridors, Sarah thought about her life. A lot had changed since she had come to the Kingdom when she was fifteen. Finding out that she was a Fae Princess and betrothed to Jareth was just the tip of the iceberg. At first, she'd been angry and hurt over the deception. She didn't want to marry Jareth. The more she got to know the man, though, the more she came to love him. She looked at the mark on the heart line of her hand.

Across the castle, in the throne room, Jareth also looked at his mark. Through their connection, he could feel her thinking about him. He sent thoughts of his love back at her and smiled. He continued to lounge on his throne, waiting for the guests to arrive for tonight's ball. That's how Vasileos found him moments later when he walked into the room.

"Hello son," Vasileos said, breaking Jareth from his contemplation.

"Hello father," Jareth replied. He started to stand but Vasileos waved him down.

"Don't get up on my account," Vasileos said. "I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you my boy. When you were younger, I have to admit that I was somewhat worried about you. You were so self-centered and temperamental. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel when you finally inherited the throne. You've changed for the better, Jareth. These past few years, I've seen you blossom into the man I always knew you could be. I'm so pleased and proud to have you succeed me. You're going to make a fine High King. I couldn't be more ecstatic with you, your wife, and your heirs. Your family has made my final years in this realm the happiest in my long life."

Jareth was stunned into silence. He'd never imagined his father saying such words to him. He had to admit, before he met Sarah, he could never have taken on the responsibility of the High Throne. She had turned his world upside down and made him the man he was born to be. As if summoned, the woman in question appeared before them.

"Oh," Sarah said. "I'm sorry to interrupt. I was looking for Lyndora. Have you seen her?"

"You aren't interrupting anything, my dear," Vasileos replied. "I was just leaving. I believe your mother, Alcina, and Karen were all outside playing with the twins."

Vasileos gave her cheek a kiss and then left the couple alone. Jareth beckoned Sarah towards him with his finger. She smiled and walked closer to him. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. She giggled and put her arms around his neck.

"Have I told you lately just how much I love you?" he asked, nuzzling her neck.

"Not in the last few minutes," she replied, amused. "I love you, too."

Jareth began to nip at her neck. Sarah giggled and he grinned against her skin. The sound of her laughter was like a symphonic masterpiece. He slid his hands down her sides and began wiggling his fingers. Her giggle turned into an all out laugh as he tickled her. She writhed under his touch.

"N-no m-more," she stammered through her laughter.

"Yuck! Don't you guys do anything but touch each other?" exclaimed a voice from across the room. The couple looked up to see Toby standing in the room looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but there.

"Tobias Samuel Williams!" cried Karen. "You are the rudest young man in the Underground. Apologize to your sister right this instant."

"Sorry," he replied, begrudgingly.

"It's ok Tobesters," Sarah said, catching her breath.

"Someday, Lord Tobias," Jareth remarked, "you too will find nothing better than to touch a pretty lady on a beautiful day."

"Karen, do you know where Lyndora is?" Sarah asked, remembering why she had come into the throne room in the first place.

"I left her in the garden with Hoggle and the twins," Karen replied. "I just stopped by to see if you needed any help with the last minute preparations for the ball tonight."

"Thank you Karen," Sarah said with a smile. "I think everything is taken care of for right now. I might need some help greeting guests later."

"I can do that," Karen replied. "Come on Toby. You still need to have your final fitting with the tailor. Bye Your Majesties."

"Bye Karen," Sarah said as they left. She attempted to get up only to find herself being held to Jareth's lap with his strong arms. She giggled and tried to move his hands. "I have to see my mother before everyone gets here. You're going to have to let me go."

Reluctantly, with a pained sigh, he moved his arms and allowed her to get up. She smiled at him and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. He watched her leave. After she was gone, he got up to work on some paperwork before the guests started to arrive.

* * *

Sarah spotted her mother and her children talking to Hoggle as he sprayed the garden's fairies. With a wave, she soon joined them. Pistis and Erastos stayed with Hoggle, who promised to look after them so that Sarah could have some time with her mother alone. The two women chatted as they walked through the private gardens.

"How are things in the Lunar Kingdom?" Sarah asked.

"Good," Lyndora replied. "I have heard a few rumors that I thought I'd bring to you."

"Oh?" Sarah asked, surprised. "What kind of rumors?"

"About Vasileos," Lyndora replied. "There are people who have said that he is not well and may be abdicating his throne in the near future. There has been some talk in other Kingdoms about a shift of power. Some are thinking that this moment of weakness in the High family would be a perfect opportunity to usurp the Throne."

"As much as I would like to confirm or deny these rumors," Sarah commented, "you know I cannot. I will say that, in the event of an illness, Jareth is completely ready to take the Throne. He's focused, prepared, and ready. He was literally born to take this role. Everything is well in hand."

"I'm glad to hear it," Lyndora replied, understanding Sarah's meaning completely.

"Can you believe it mother?" she asked. "My babies are five-years-old. It seems like just yesterday that I was holding them in my arms."

"They grow up so fast," Lyndora replied, wiping a tear from her eye. "I remember when you were just a baby. I thought you were the most beautiful baby in the whole world. Robert had to talk me into letting him hold you. The worst day of my life was when I had to leave you to take the throne. I still wish that I hadn't been so foolish. I should have just taken you with me."

"Mother," Sarah said softly. "You can't change things. Who knows what would've happened had I come with you? I wouldn't have the most adorable brother I could have asked for. I wouldn't have two mothers who love me so. Going down that road leads to nothing but trouble. I'm here with you now. Just hold onto that."

"You're right," Lyndora sighed. "Besides, I can't wait to be a grandma again. You two make the most beautiful children."

"Thanks mom," Sarah replied. "Oh! What time is it?"

"It's a little after one," Lyndora answered.

"Damn! I'm late for our last fitting. I have to find Pistis and you know how much she loves to stand still. I hate to chat and run."

"No problem, my dear," Lydora said, laughing. The two women embraced and then Sarah was off to begin the more mundane tasks of the day.

* * *

By three o'clock, Sarah was relaxing in her chambers. She knew she had to take a bath and change into her greeting dress by four. She reflected over her day. As she had thought, getting Pistis fitted had been quite the ordeal. The girl wouldn't stand still and the seamstress started to get frustrated with her. The only good thing was that Sarah knew Jareth was having the same problem with Erastos at the tailor. At long last, Pistis and Sarah were both fitted and their ballgowns were sitting in their rooms waiting for them.

After the fitting, Sarah had to go settle the maids' dispute. It turned out that one of the maids was just bitter because the other had a better job. She assumed it was because the maid had flirted with the King to get it. In reality, the maid in question was happily married and really hadn't had much contact with the King. She was just better at the job and thus was assigned to it as part of her regular duties.

Sarah bathed, trying to take as much time as possible in the tub. She knew that this would be the last moment of quiet she would have until she went to bed, most likely completely exhausted, later that night. She was just climbing out of the tub when she heard Irini knock on the door and enter her chambers. Opening the bathroom door, Sarah went out to join her.

At four o'clock, Sarah was dressed in a light green silk greeting gown and was in the Throne Room to greet guests. Her hair was up in a simple updo. Right on time, guests began to arrive. The Goblin King and Queen, along with their heirs, greeted every single one of them. Karen helped by organizing the maids to take guests to their assigned rooms.

Sarah was talking to her cousin, Val, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning she broke into a happy grin and embraced the brown haired man standing there.

"Zale!" she exclaimed, he picked her up and spun her around. At the sound of his wife's squeals, Jareth turned and walked over to his youngest brother.

"Hello baby brother," he said, pulling Sarah to his side. The Goblin Queen gave her husband a pointed look. With a sigh, she realized he was going to be as overprotective with this child as he had been with the twins.

"How is my favorite eldest sister-in-law?" Zale asked, giving a nod to Jareth in greeting.

"I'm well and yourself?" Sarah asked.

"I can't complain," he replied. "Well, I can but no one would listen." Sarah laughed. "And how are you big brother? You look like a cat that ate the canary." He raised an eyebrow at the overprotective body language his eldest brother was giving off.

"Doing very well," Jareth stated. "In fact, I'm going to be a father again."

"Congratulations!" he exclaimed. "Oh Sarah, this is good news indeed."

"What's good news?" a voice behind them asked. The group turned to see the blond haired, brown eyed man standing there.

"Hi Pyralis, you're just in time to join in on the congratulations," Zale told his older brother.

At his confused expression, Jareth decided to take pity on him. "Sarah is expecting," he announced proudly.

"Way to go big brother!" Pyralis cried, clapping Jareth on the back. Sarah rolled her eyes, but her face was one of amusement.

"Pyralis and Zale, you rascals! How in Hades are you?" Val came over with Karen and joined the group.

Sarah and Jareth moved away to greet more guests as they arrived. It was almost time for dinner and they still had to change into their outfits for the ball. Sarah thanked the Gods that she had a nanny who had promised to get Pistis and Erastos changed. It saved her from having to do everything herself.

"Kaiken!" Sarah cried, as her sister-in-law materialized in the Throne Room.

"Sarah!" Kaiken exclaimed, embracing Sarah.

"How've you been?" Sarah asked. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"I've been doing really well in my travels to the Aboveground," Kaiken responded. "What's new?"

"Oh nothing," Sarah teased. "Well, unless you think being pregnant is new."

Kaiken squealed and hugged Sarah again. "Congratulations Sarah!"

"I see you've heard," Jareth said, coming to Sarah's side. He embraced his sister and smiled.

"Congratulations Jareth, I'm very happy for you both," Kaiken replied. They chatted for a little while longer before a maid came to escort her to her room.

The last group arrived, consisting of Gelly and her intended and Erasmus and his wife. About a year after Sarah and Jareth married, Erasmus had met the Gaia Princess at a court function. It wasn't long after that that they were wed. They were expecting their first child in less than two months. Jareth was happy that his younger brother had found someone with whom he could be happy. He feared his other two brothers were going to end up in arranged marriages if they could not find love. It would help the Underground if they could forge some alliances through marriage, but Jareth hoped his brothers could find someone to make them happy.

"You made it!" exclaimed Sarah, embracing Gelly. The two women had become the best of friends during her engagement to Jareth. Gelasia, the youngest of Jareth's siblings, had always thought that marriage would be something she'd never enter into. Fortunately, the Fates had other plans for her. A year ago, she ran into the Okeanos Prince. They had been courting for a few months before becoming engaged. Sarah was all too happy to tell her sister-in-law that she told her so. Their wedding was coming up in a little more than a month.

Sarah and Jareth accepted congratulations all around at the announcement of Sarah's their pregnancy. Sarah and Erianthe, Erasmus' wife, discussed both pregnancies. The rest of the group left them to their discussion of cravings, morning sickness, and hormone changes.

When it was time to change, Jareth and Sarah excused themselves to go change for dinner. They would have liked to take some time to undress each other properly in their chambers, but time was not on their side. They quickly changed to their ball ensembles and headed back to the ballroom to get the birthday celebration started.

* * *

Epi watched as the young woman came into the room to check on the girl. She was such a petite thing. She'd been quite young when she had gotten pregnant. The man had run away, leaving the girl pregnant and alone. Epifanio had known that this would work to his advantage.

"Who are you?" she asked, fear beginning to rise in her.

"I'm either your savior or your worst nightmare, my dear," he replied. He slowly walked towards her. She tried to back up, but soon found herself pinned to the door.

"W-where's my d-daughter?" she stammered. Her body began to tremble.

"She's safe for now," he murmured. "How long she stays that way is another matter."

"W-what do y-you want?" she asked, tears were starting to roll down her round cheeks.

"I need you to do me a favor," he replied, stroking her cheek with his finger. She flinched away and he laughed maniacally. Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

Sarah was happy to see both of her children dressed in their new ball frocks. Both Pistis and Erastos were on their best behavior. Courtly manners and etiquette were taught to their children soon after they began to speak. Of course, Jareth and Sarah always kept their eyes on them just in case.

When dinner was over, the tables were removed for the ball. The first dance celebrated their birthday with a waltz. Jareth danced with Pistis, while Sarah was Erastos' partner. The guests smiled as they watched the family enjoying their dance. After the dance, Pistis and Erastos were excused to go have fun with their friends. Sarah noted that Christopher was in attendance and the three children were enjoying themselves.

The goblins were also enjoying themselves. Sarah had made it clear that she would have no celebration ball in the Goblin Kingdom for her children that wouldn't include their subjects. She waved at Hoggle, who was talking with Toby. He smiled and waved back. Ludo and Sir Didymus were in a discussion with Robert. She grinned at the picture they made. Soon several of the goblins were chanting something. Sarah couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

"We want Okey Dokey," said one.

"Please play Okey Dokey," begged another.

It took Sarah a moment to figure it out. "Do you mean you want to do the Hokey Pokey?"

A loud cheer erupted among the goblins. Sarah instructed the band to begin to play and she led them all into the popular Aboveground game. Jareth watched his wife dancing and couldn't help the smile that came to his lips. His wife got along so well with his subjects. In fact, they loved her and would happily lay down their lives for her. He laughed as she stuck her bum out of the circle and then back in again to "shake it all about." The children seemed to enjoy the game as much as the goblins.

After doing several other Aboveground dances, which Sarah was still fond of after these last six years in the Undeground, a new song began to play. Sarah was still hanging on to Toby after getting tangled up during the Hustle. With a smile on her face, Sarah looked over at Jareth. She would never forget the first time she heard the beautiful song about falling in love and the promises he hadn't failed to deliver. Jareth strolled up to her and asked her to dance. They danced as if there were no one else in the room with them. All eyes followed their path around the dance floor. It was easy to see that they were completely in love with each other.

At the end of the dance, Jareth did something he had wished he could have done all those years ago. He kissed her passionately and poured all of his love into her. Several guests turned away, giving them privacy. Others watched in amusement. Toby looked as if he were going to lose his dinner and the twins giggled. He placed a hand over each of their eyes. Just because he had to watch the display, didn't mean he had to let them suffer.

The dancing continued for a few more hours, before the children were excused to go into Pistis and Erastos' room for a slumber party. The nanny, Toby, and Karen went along to supervise. After the children left, the adults continued their celebration. The punch was switched to champagne and waltzes replaced children's music for entertainment. The adults conversed and danced. Everyone was having a great time.

* * *

"W-what kind of favor?" the young woman asked. She was visibly shaking now as the tears streamed down her face.

"I need you to say something for me," Epi replied, smiling wickedly.

"Then you'll give back Meredith?" she asked, hope coming to her eyes.

"We shall see," he replied. "The only thing I can promise is that if you do not do this, you will never see your child again."

The woman broke down into racking sobs. He let her cry at his feet. Her sobs began to taper off and she looked at him pleadingly. "P-please," she begged. "I'll do anything."

"Fine," he said, handing her a piece of paper. The words were too powerful for him to say himself. "Say what's there exactly as it is written."

The girl read the strange words on the paper and took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she said, "I wish the goblins would come and take away my daughter, right now."


	5. Mama's Gone

**A/N:** I'm baaaaack! Whew…it seems like forever since I last posted, but then, I guess Jareth would say that forever isn't long at all, so I'm off the hook. Somehow, I think my faithful readers would beg to differ. Thanks so much number1fanpire26, Operaphantomgrl, Trotters, Kiruya, JHaines, lonely 27, LittleMargarita, and Kactus Wrynn for reviewing the last chapter. You truly motivated me to get off my duff and actually post the next chapter. I hope you enjoy. **Remember – reviews make me happy and happy people update faster.**

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own anything but the plot.

* * *

*****WARNING – Violence ahead*****

The goblins disappeared from the ball room to answer the summons. Sarah sighed and looked up at her husband. Jareth returned her sigh and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. Changing into her Goblin Armor, she hastily made her excuses to her guests. Most of them had seen the Goblin horde go and knew what was happening. With a wave of her hand, she transported to the location of the summons.

Sarah appeared in the darkened room and looked around for the wisher. Trembling in the corner was a young woman. Something wasn't right. She'd seen plenty of wishers before and most of them were scared. The woman before the Goblin Queen was beyond scared. She was terrified.

As Sarah began to approach the frightened woman, a strange smell assaulted her nose. It was a horrible, coppery smell. It was coming from the closet and under the bed. Stealing herself for what she might see, Sarah opened the closet door. Inside, laid several of her subjects. They had been brutally slaughtered. A shriek broke from Sarah's mouth. Who would do such a thing? As Goblin Queen, Sarah loved her subjects. The Goblins made life interesting and they were quite a loyal bunch. Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She whirled on the young woman sobbing in the corner.

"Who did this?" she asked coldly. Her initial shock was being replaced by an intense fury.

"T-the bad m-man," the woman whispered. Sarah had to strain to hear her.

"Hello Sarah," crooned a voice from Sarah's nightmares. Sarah whipped around and faced the man she had tried so hard to forget.

"Epi," she gasped.

"My dearest," he crooned. His hand reached out to stroke her cheek. She dodged him and lost her footing. With a shriek, she fell to the floor.

"What have you done?" she asked, looking up at him. He continued to stare at her and she cradled her stomach protectively. She looked into his eyes and saw the madness. _My Gods! He's lost his mind!_

"What I should have done before you married that fop of a King," he sneered. "You belong with me."

"You're insane," she gasped.

"You have no idea," he replied.

Laughing, he pulled her roughly to her feet. She struggled against him, but he was stronger than her. He pressed his lips to hers and began to kiss her with brutal force. She was unable to move away. His lips were crushed to hers with such force that she couldn't even open her mouth to bite him as she did during her second Labyrinthian run. Trying not to gag, she let instinct kick in. Rearing back her leg, she drove her knee deep into his groin.

Epifanio roared and threw Sarah against the wall. Her head slammed into the wall hard enough to cause the plaster to fall away. Consciousness left her and she fell into the trembling arms of the young woman cowering in the corner. The girl began to sob harder in fear.

"It's time to go, my dear," Epi announced.

"Please," the girl begged. "I've done what you asked. Please give me back Meredith."

"I don't recall saying I _would_ give her back," he replied. "I said that we shall see. I've decided that you may be important to my mission. That makes your precious Meredith all the more valuable to me."

"Please," she sobbed.

"Oh, do stop that incessant whining," he ordered. That only made the woman cry harder.  
"If you don't stop, I shall make you stop."

When she didn't stop, he created a crystal and threw it at her. She instantly fell into a deep sleep. Epifanio gave a sigh of relief. He stepped over to the two women and squatted down next to them. Running a hand down Sarah's face, he caressed her and smiled. _Finally! I have my Queen. _He created a crystal and threw it up in the air. When it came back down, all three disappeared.

* * *

Jareth continued to mingle with his guests. Although his outward appearance gave away nothing, inside, he was worried. Sarah had been gone for a long time. Even with a particularly difficult wisher, it never took longer than an hour. Sarah had already been gone for two. He decided to go check the Throne Room. Perhaps the child needed extra care.

Making his excuses, he left the Ball Room and made his way towards the Throne Room. The feeling of unease grew with every step he took. It was way too quiet around the castle. The Goblins hadn't returned to the ballroom and he couldn't hear the sounds of Goblin laughter or mischief. A sound that never seemed to disappear, no matter how many Goblins were bogged for disturbing the peace of the King. Dread filled his stomach and spread throughout his body, chilling his blood. Something was terribly wrong.

Jareth stepped through the doorway leading to the Throne Room and gasped. It was empty and desolate. Not one Goblin was playing and Sarah was nowhere to be seen. There was no trace of a wished away child. Jareth tried to feel for the presence of his wife and was astonished to feel nothing at all. Even when she went Above to retrieve a child, Jareth still felt the faint pull of their bond. Now, it appeared that their bond had been severed. Where was she? A feeling of panic tried to overtake the Goblin King and he had to use all of his inner strength to tamp it back down. Panicking would do no good.

Jareth sniffed the air and found the trail of magic that would lead him to the location of the summons. With a flick of his wrist, he changed into his black Goblin armor. He tried to prepare himself for what he might see. Taking a deep breath, he transported himself to Sarah's last known location. The smell hit him immediately and knocked him to his knees. Turning his head towards the bed, he saw such carnage that he had to force himself not to vomit. Only in battle, had he seen anything resembling the sight before him. His Goblins were lying dead in pools of their own blood. Several of them had been torn apart. A gagging scream tore from the Goblin King's throat.

Forcing himself to stand, he looked around the room. He could smell his wife's scent, but he couldn't see her anywhere. The thought that she may be dead crossed his mind briefly. He refused to believe it. His Sarah couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible. How would he tell their children? What about his unborn child? She had to be alive! She just had to be. He wouldn't accept the alternative.

After searching the entire small dwelling for signs of his beloved, he could feel the panic begin to fill his soul. She wasn't here. She had disappeared without a single trace. With no other choice, he returned to his castle. He needed to break the news to his family. It worried him to have to tell his father in his condition. Sitting down in his study, he sent out summoning crystals to his parents and Sarah's family. It didn't take long for them to respond.

"Jareth, what's wrong? What's happened?" Alcina asked, worry lines appearing on her face.

"Sarah's missing," Jareth said bluntly, his face a stone, void of emotion. "I believe she's been taken."

"Taken?" Lyndora asked. "Who would have taken her?"

"Epifanio," Alcina uttered, barely in a whisper. Gasps were heard around the room as the seriousness of the situation hit the rest of the family. No one had even heard from Epi in so long that they had nearly forgotten he existed.

"It can't be," Karen cried.

"Why would he take Sarah?" Robert asked, trying desperately to keep his own emotions in check as he consoled his distraught wife.

"He's obsessed with her," Jareth replied.

"What can we do, son?" Vasileos asked. "Do you have any idea of where he could have taken her?"

"I can't feel her through our connection," Jareth lamented. "I don't have a clue where to even begin looking."

Jareth put his heads in his hands and struggled to contain his emotions. Alcina stepped behind him and soothingly caressed his back. She whispered nonsense words of comfort. Vasileos appeared to be deep in thought. Karen could be heard crying on her husband's shoulders, while Lyndora fought to remain calm. Later, she would break down in the privacy of her own room. Right now, the rest of them needed her to be strong for them.

"Could I have a moment alone with my son?" Vasileos requested.

His wife looked at him in confusion, but nodded in capitulation. The others bowed to his authority and quickly left the study after murmuring words of comfort to the Goblin King. Once they were alone, Vasileos stayed silent for a moment. It was so quiet in the room; one could hear the ticking of the antique clock upon the wall. At last, Jareth began to break down. His breathing became labored and irregular. Wracking sobs shook his body. Vasileos simply allowed his son a moment to grieve.

"We need to come up with a plan," Vasileos said after Jareth's tears turned to sniffles.

"Y-you're right," Jareth stammered between sniffles.

"In a week, you'll still have to ascend the Throne," Vasileos reminded him.

"I can't," Jareth moaned. "Not without her. She's everything to me. I love her so much."

"I know you do," Vaslieos replied. "But, if you don't take the Throne, to what kind of Underground will she return?"

"She's gone, father," Jareth wept. "What if she never comes home?"

"Don't talk like that son," Vasileos begged. "It's not over with. By Hades, it has barely begun. Don't give up before you start. Your children need you to stay strong and have hope."

"How?" Jareth asked.

"By accepting my help," Vasileos replied.

"You look as if you've already come up with a plan," Jareth surmised.

"I have," Vasileos stated. "I'm going to reorder time."

"In your condition?" Jareth cried, horrified. "Besides, I've already tried and the stars refused to realign."

"I'm the only one who can help you son," Vasileos replied. "I'm going to reorder all time so that our time runs parallel to Mortal time. If it takes you time to find Sarah, you will at least have lost the same amount of time. She won't come home to find her children grown in her absence. You're going to have to spend a good part of your time Above to search for her. This gives you some extra time."

"If anyone finds out, we could face a lot of trouble from the council," Jareth warned.

"I shall deal with them," Vasileos vowed. "You just get out there and find your Queen."

"Thank you, father," Jareth replied.

"You're welcome," Vasileos said. "Now go!"

Jareth didn't have to have to be told twice. It was extremely important to find Sarah immediately. If others found out that Sarah was missing, it could be perceived as a weakness. That would open things up for people to attempt coups to take over the Underground. He hurried out of the room and to his war room. Once there, he summoned Robert and Lyndora to his side. Those two would be invaluable help as Robert had a very good mind for strategy and Lyndora could be quite creative. Furthermore, both could be trusted to keep a secret.

"Have you heard anything?" Lyndora asked, transporting to Jareth's side.

"Not yet," Jareth replied. "Once Robert gets here, I will let you know what we are truly facing."

Lyndora nodded and looked down at the table before him. On it, laid blueprints to a house in the Above. She studied it and waited for the arrival of her ex-husband. Jareth explained that he had obtained the blueprints to the house that, as of now, was the last known location of the Goblin Queen. He drew a circle on the map where he had found the bodies of his Goblins. The door to the war room opened and Robert walked through. His eyebrows went up at the sight of his ex-wife standing with Jareth.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Robert," Jareth said.

"You're welcome," Robert replied. "Have you found my daughter?"

"No, I haven't," Jareth sighed. "I called you both here because you both have a good mind for puzzles and you know how to keep a secret."

"What's going on?" Robert asked. Lyndora just took everything in and waited for Jareth's explanation.

"I'm sure you both have probably heard the rumors about my father," Jareth stated. Both Robert and Lyndora nodded. "As you can probably guess, they are true. My father is dying and I'm expected to take over the Throne in less than a week."

"I'm so sorry, Jareth," Lyndora sympathized.

"Me, too," Robert added.

"Thank you, both," Jareth said. "You can understand my position. If anyone finds out about Sarah, it could be disastrous for the Underground. On top of everything else, my father has decided to reorder time."

"In his condition?" Lyndora asked, incredulously.

"That was my reaction, as well," Jareth replied. "But he will not be dissuaded. He intends to slow our time to match that of the Aboveground. That gives us a little extra time to find her and makes going between both worlds a little easier."

"How can I help?" Robert asked, getting straight to the point.

"This is Sarah's last known location," Jareth replied, pointing to the blueprints on the table. "This circle marks the spot where I found the majority of my Goblins. Most likely, the horde reached the wisher first, as is the usual case. Epifanio killed the arriving horde and waited for Sarah."

"If I understand it correctly, don't you have to have a child for a wish like that to work?" asked Lyndora.

"He must have gotten someone else to wish away the child," Jareth replied. "It's the only explanation. He killed the Goblins before they could retrieve the child, so it stands to reason that the child is within his possession. There was no one in the dwelling when I checked."

"Jareth, you are not going to be able to search for Sarah without raising suspicions," Lyndora warned.

"I have a suggestion," Robert interjected. "Why don't we look for Sarah? You can stay here and keep up appearances."

"I agree with Robert," Lyndora stated. "You have to continue running the Kingdom and come up with some story as to Sarah's whereabouts. We can conduct the investigation to find our daughter. Your children need you here and you can't allow others to become suspicious. I imagine the time shift itself could raise suspicions among the more sensitive in the Underground. We cannot allow ourselves to give them more to think about."

"You're right," Jareth conceded.

"You go to your chambers and we'll get started in here," Lyndora advised.

"I can't," Jareth argued.

"You must!" Lyndora insisted. "You have to act as if nothing is wrong. Even if you don't get a wink of sleep, the staff must see you go to bed. Their tongues will wag."

Jareth sighed in resignation. She was right. The staff found gossip to be a most enjoyable activity. Much of the time, Jareth, like all royals, ignored it. Right now, it was imperative to keep the castle gossip to a minimum. That would mean coming up with a story and letting it slip to the staff. Maybe he could say that Sarah left to visit a dying Mortal relative. Robert's mother perhaps? It sounded plausible and would explain Sarah's absence, along with Robert's and Lyndora's trips to the Aboveground. Of course, he would have to send Toby and Karen somewhere in order to make it work. Jareth informed Sarah's parents of his plan.

"It could work," Lyndora agreed.

"Karen and Toby could go stay with her mother, but I'm not sure how long they could stay there," Robert added.

"We'll just have to come up with a plan B if we need them to stay for longer than a week," Jareth sighed. The Mortals could not return to the Aboveground once they had stayed in the Underground for such a long time. Being away from the magic could have serious consequences if they were gone too long. It was just another thing that could go wrong, but they'd have to take the chance. They didn't have much choice in the matter.

"I'll go tell them," Robert replied. "I'll be discrete about what you've said, but I'll make sure they go."

"Thank you, Robert," Jareth said.

"I'll go with you," Lyndora offered. "Once they are ready, I'll send them Above."

Jareth watched the two of them leave towards their mutual destination. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. His mind went to his wife. He sincerely hoped that Sarah was alright. If not, he would make sure that Epifanio paid with his life. Looking at the blueprints, he shook his head. Lyndora was right. He needed to retire to his room. It would do Sarah no good for him to raise suspicions. Taking one last look at the table, he quickly left the room and made his way to his children's room.

All was quiet, with all the children sleeping peacefully. Jareth walked to the bed holding his son and pulled the blanket up to his neck. He caressed the downy soft hair upon the small head. Placing a kiss upon his son's forehead, he wished him sweet dreams. At the feeling of something pressing against his skin, Erastos opened his eyes.

"Is it morning?" asked the little boy.

"No, my son," Jareth replied. "Go back to sleep."

Erastos snuggled deeper into his bed and closed his eyes. Soon, his breathing became slow and regular. Taking one last look at his son for the night, Jareth moved onto his daughter. She looked so much like her mother with her dark tresses. It made him ache for the want of his wife. The fact that she carried another one of his precious children made him miss her all the more. After making sure his daughter was safely tucked into her bed, he made his way back to the chambers he shared with Sarah. It seemed overly large and lonely without her presence. Using his magic, he quickly changed his clothes. He climbed into his bed and tried to get some sleep. After, what seemed like hours, he managed to finally fall into a restless slumber.

Down the hall, his daughter was becoming as restless as her father. She cried out in her sleep, awakening her brother. Erastos, ever protective of his sister, went to her bed to wake her up. Just as he was about to place his tiny hand on her shoulder, she suddenly sat up in bed. Erastos gasped as he saw the look of terror on his sister's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but she interrupted him with one simple phrase.

"Mama's gone! The bad man's taken her!"


	6. Time Warp

**A/N: **Hello, my lovely readers. I've finally got an update to this story for you. Thanks so much to AB, cynder172braken, Epic Failing Again, Jaxxone, kimberleev, Lady Rini, LittleMargarita, lonely 27, LunarMidnight, Mikado X Goddess, notwritten, Operaphantomgrl, sakurastar14, scifigeek10, and The Queen of Water for their awesome reviews since the last update. **Remember – reviews make me happy and happy people update faster.**

**Disclaimer: **I wish that I owned the rights to Labyrinth, right now! Nope, it didn't work.

* * *

The first thing Sarah noticed when she woke up was an intense pain in the back of her head. Her hand went to the source of the pain and she could feel a large knot imbedded in her skull. When she pulled her hand back, she could see bits of blood and hair on her fingertips. She groaned and wiped her fingers on the skirt of her dress. Her hand flew to her abdomen in an attempt to connect with her unborn child. Faintly, she could feel the spark in the center of her palms telling her that her child was alive and growing within her.

Satisfied that her baby was unharmed, she began to take in her surroundings. Though it was dim in the room, she could tell that she had been moved. The style of the house reminded her of her grandfather's cabin in Vermont. The walls were made of stone and there were wood beams at the ceiling. Pairs of antlers adorned the walls and Sarah noticed a stone fireplace along one of the walls. All the furniture seemed to be covered in dusty, yellowed sheets, evidence that this dwelling had been abandoned for some time.

A noise to her right captured her attention. She turned towards the source and her eyes came to rest upon the form of a young woman. Still slightly unconscious, she moaned and tossed to her side. Tears slid down her cheeks and Sarah could hear the hitch in her breath that told her that the woman had been crying in her sleep for a while now. Sarah let her eyes sweep over the woman. She was pretty, with her short auburn hair and fair complexion. It appeared that she had joined the fad among young Mortals with her various piercings. To her slightly fuzzy brain, the woman appeared to be the same one that she had encountered last night. The events of the prior evening began to make their way out of the recesses of Sarah's mind. Epifanio had killed her Goblin subjects and took her captive. By the look of things, the young woman was not a willing accomplice.

"Who are you?" groaned the young woman. Sarah looked at her for a moment before replying.

"Sarah," replied the Goblin Queen. "What is your name?"

"Nora," she said. "Where's Meredith? What happened? Where are we?"

"Here mommy," came a voice in the corner. Looking over, Sarah saw the figure of a young girl. Auburn hair framed a face filled with freckles.

"Meredith!" cried Nora. The little girl ran to her mother and the two embraced. Sarah watched them with a bittersweet smile. It was obvious that, while the woman was young, she dearly loved her daughter. She missed her own little goblins at home. Her children would be sound asleep by this time.

"She's lovely," Sarah said, at a loss for words.

"She's my baby," Nora replied. "What's going on?"

"I'll try my best to explain," Sarah began. "The man who took Meredith is called Epifanio. He is from my world."

"Your world?" Nora asked, confused. She held tightly to her young daughter. Meredith, secure in her mother's arms, looked at the Goblin Queen with interest.

"The Underground," Sarah explained. "It's another realm and runs parallel to this one with a few differences. Our time runs slower than yours and we still harbor magic."

"I know who you are!" Meredith proclaimed.

"Who am I, child?" Sarah asked kindly.

"You're the Goblin Queen," Meredith stated, smiling.

"You're very smart," Sarah replied. She returned the young girl's smile with one of her own. Observing the girl, Sarah realized that she couldn't be much older than her own two children.

"Where's the Goblin King?" Meredith asked, cocking her head.

"I don't know, sweetheart," Sarah replied, trying not to cry.

"Wait a minute," Nora said, frowning. "Meredith, honey, are you talking about that movie? The one with what's his name…Donald…Daniel…no that's not right…Douglas…"

"David. David Bowie," Sarah stated. "The movie is real, Nora. The Goblin King and the Underground are also real."

"This is nuts," Nora scoffed.

"I know how it sounds, but it's all real," Sarah insisted. "I could hardly believe it, myself, when, in a moment of frustration at fifteen, I wished away my baby brother and the Goblin King appeared in my parents' bedroom."

"Just like in the movie!" Meredith exclaimed.

"That's right," Sarah agreed, smiling. "He offered me my dreams, but I couldn't accept them. I had to right my wrong. I had no right to wish my brother away to the goblins. He gave me a test to prove myself. I ran his Labyrinth and reclaimed my brother."

"How did you end up his Queen?" Nora asked, getting caught up in the story.

"It's 'cause of 'what no one knew,' isn't it?" Meredith guessed.

"Partly," Sarah conceded.

"Huh?" Nora asked, confused.

"Mommy, what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and had given her certain powers," Meredith recited.

"That's sweet!" Nora said. She always had a soft spot for the romantic.

"You wouldn't think so if you had to live with the aftermath of a man rejected," Sarah laughed, remembering how he used to torment her. "He offered himself and I turned him down. I didn't realize that he was being serious. At fifteen, I hadn't even had a real first kiss, yet."

"What did he do?" Nora asked.

"He'd continually come to me in his owl form and perch outside my window," Sarah explained. "Then there were the dreams. He'd send me the most…" she looked at Meredith, "…interesting dreams." Nora laughed, understanding the implied meaning. "One day, I'd had enough. I called upon the High Queen to intervene."

"What happened?" Nora asked.

"She went back to her son and convinced him to try a different tactic," Sarah replied. "There was something that neither he nor I knew. My mother was a Fae Princess trying to escape fate by coming Aboveground. Her father and his father had betrothed us during a peace accord. He spent the summer courting me with shared notes sent back and forth. I was brought back to the Underground just before I turned 21. A week later, we became engaged. After a month, we were married."

"How romantic," Nora sighed. She wished that her love life could have played out like Sarah's. Meredith's father had left them before she was even born. Now, she rarely even dated.

"Yes, it was," Sarah replied, with a sad smile. She wished, with all her heart, that her husband were with her. She missed Jareth and her children fiercely.

"Why did this happen to us?" Nora asked after a moment.

Sarah began to tell Nora the story of Epifanio. Tears escaped Nora's bright blue eyes as Sarah told her of the dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. The Goblin Queen shared the story of besting a second Labyrinth and of her total love for Jareth. Neither woman noticed when a shadow appeared on the wall as another pair of ears listened to the story. It wasn't until they heard clapping. Both women looked up, startled.

"Quite the little story teller, aren't you, my love," Epifanio purred.

* * *

Pistis trembled in her bed as her brother desperately tried to figure out what to do about the situation. At first, he tried to calm her with soothing words. When that failed to help, he tried logic. Their mother couldn't be gone. They had just seen her a few hours before at their birthday ball. It was just a dream and Pistis needed to go back to sleep. That tactic didn't work either and Erastos was back to the drawing board. Finally, he decided it was time to call in reinforcements. His Uncle Toby was the smartest person alive. Surely he would know what to do to help Pistis. With his mind made up, Erastos crept over to the bed his parents had set up for Toby in their room. He'd been so excited about the idea of a sleepover with the older boy. Toby, ever the deep sleeper, was sound asleep and snoring slightly. Erastos giggled and then remembered his purpose. Reaching out his hand, he shook his Uncle's shoulder. Toby mumbled something that sounded like 'five more minutes' and Erastos sighed. This time, he shook harder and was rewarded by the opening of his uncle's eyes.

Toby blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings. This wasn't his room. Slowly, it started coming back to him. He was staying over at his sister's castle. Looking around the room, he realized it was still nighttime. He was about to go back to sleep when he saw Erastos standing by his bed. Sitting up, he turned on the little bedside lamp. Before he could scold the little boy for waking him, he got a glance at his nephew's worried face.

"Hey, buddy, what's wrong?" he asked sleepily.

"Sissy had a bad dream," Erastos explained. "She won't stop crying."

Toby quickly hopped out of bed and walked towards his young niece. Even at this distance, he could see her shaking. Sitting down beside her, he took her in his arms. She continued to cry as he held her, cooing nonsense words to calm her. It seemed like forever until the tremors stopped and the last tears began to dry upon her cheeks.

"Now, why don't you tell Uncle Toby all about your bad dream," Toby insisted.

"A b-bad m-man took m-mommy a-away," Pistis stammered.

"Your mommy is safe and sound in the castle," Toby promised.

"N-no s-she's not," Pistis argued. "The bad man called the goblins to take a little girl away. He hurted the goblins and took mommy away."

"Where did he take her," Toby asked, thinking she'd give him a nonsense answer that he could use to convince her that it was all a dream.

"Mommy's in a stone room," Pistis described. "She keeps talking to a funny looking lady and her little girl."

"A funny looking lady?" Toby asked.

"Yeah," Pistis replied. "She has metal things in her nose and eyebrows. Her hair is a funny color. It's not pretty like mommy's."

"Is that so?" Toby replied, confused. This was getting weird. Perhaps Sarah had taken her above and she saw a woman who just got stuck in her memory. The brain did funny things to little kids. He'd have to talk to Sarah or Jareth later and let them deal with it.

Pistis began to cry again. "You don't believe me, do you Uncle Toby?"

"Hush, pumpkin," Toby replied, holding her close. "I believe you had a very bad dream. Now, it's time to go back to sleep and chase those bad dreams away with good ones."

Erastos gave him a skeptical glance before shrugging and giving his sister a kiss on her cheek. His Uncle Toby was probably right. He yawned deeply and climbed back into bed. He was tired and they could talk more about it in the morning. Besides, Uncle Toby would protect him. He was the bestest Uncle ever.

* * *

Chryseis couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled into her heart. Neither tending her garden nor grooming her horses, activities that usually could relax her, could do anything to soothe her frazzled nerves. Now, she could be found pacing in her father's library. She'd gone there to try to read and take her mind off of the sensation that something was not right in the world. The door opened and she stopped to see her father step into the room.

"Hiding?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with good humor.

"I wish," she replied with a frown. Her sparkling hazel eyes held a weariness unknown to her in her short life.

Her father calm visage melted into one of concern. "What is wrong, daughter?"

"Something is not right," she blurted. Her hands ceased their wringing as she looked at him with imploring eyes.

Agatone sat on one of the ornate chaise lounges littering in the room. Beckoning her to him, he waited until she was seated before speaking again. "What are you feeling?"

Chryseis settled herself in her father's embrace, laying her head on his broad shoulder. "Father, I feel strange. It is as if the world is out of alignment. Life is not moving at the same tempo. What is wrong with me?"

"Adolescence is a difficult time in any girl's life," Agatone advised. "Perhaps, you are just growing impatient in waiting for your début presentation. I assure you, in another year or so, you will be ready. Don't be so willing to grow up, my child."

"I suppose," Chryseis replied with a skeptical tone.

Agatone laughed at her seeming desire to grow up before her time. "You'll see, daughter. Just give it some time."

Chryseis put her hand to her mouth. "Time." The word echoed in her mind.

"Why don't you go for a ride?" Agatone suggested. "You know you always feel better when you take to the winds."

"I suppose that might help," Chryseis replied, painting on a false smile.

Her father patted her head and gave her a chuck under her chin before going on to begin working in his study. The smile on her face faded as it took on a look of worry. She should have known her father wouldn't understand. To him, she was just another girl. Her father was notorious for believing that girls didn't really have problems that they didn't invent themselves. It was no use telling him any different. Her mother had once given her a good piece of advice: don't try and change a man unless he's in diapers. How she wished her mother was still alive. She'd know what to do about this strange feeling.

With her mind still muddled by this feeling of disquiet, she made her way down to the caves near her home. The day was perfect for a ride. Though the air was still somewhat crisp from winter, it was filled with the scent of the newly born flowers. Birdsong filled the air with a pleasant melody. Vibrant green grass covered the ground surrounding the stone path to the caves. However, none of this could distract the troubled girl.

Upon reaching her destination, she could hear the sounds of dragon-fire. She called into the cave, something she'd done many times before. A snort was her only reply before a head popped out to investigate. The sun glimmered off the small dragon's iridescent skin, making it appear to be colored from a rainbow. A plume of smoke wafted out of one nostril as it sniffed the air. Seeing the girl, it snorted happily and left the safe confines of the dank cave. Chryseis laughed as it nudged her with its snout.

"Hiya there, girl," she greeted the cheerful dragon. "Miss me?"

A belch of fire was her reply and the girl waved the acrid smoke from her face, laughing at her dragon friend.

"Want to go for a ride?" she asked, knowing full well that the dragon was ready to take to the winds.

Another burst of fire and a nudge was her answer. Giggling, Chryseis climbed onto the dragon's back and held on tight to her scaly neck. Slowly, strong wings along the dragon's side began to rise and fall. As always, it felt nearly impossible that such a large creature could actually lift off of the ground. The sensation of rising into the air was not a new one, but it never failed to make the girl giggle and hold on just a bit tighter. Soon, they were flying through the air.

"Oh, you don't know how much I needed this!" exclaimed Chryseis. The dragon snorted in response. "I wish I knew what was going on. Why do I feel so strange? Father thinks it is because I'm anxious for my début." Another snort emitted from the fairy creature. "I know, but that's just the way he is. He'll never understand me." The dragon remained silent, this time. "Maybe if he spent more time with me…Time! That's it! Someone has changed the flow of time." Chryseis hit the palm of her hand to her forehead. "How could I have been so stupid?" The dragon snorted and she laughed in reply. "I wonder why someone would alter time. Maybe I should tell father." There was silence from her companion once again. "You're right; he will never believe me. I'm going to have to check this out myself."

* * *

Robert couldn't remember the last time he'd been so tired. It was near sunrise before he and Lyndora could persuade Karen to leave the Underground. Karen, ever loyal, refused to leave her husband's side. She was fine with moving Toby to her mother's, but she wanted to stay and help with the search. It was Lyndora that was finally able to convince Karen that she'd be more help to Sarah by going through this charade.

By the time Karen had finished packing and making arrangements for her departure, it was past breakfast. She had insisted on doing everything alone so that Robert could get a couple of hours of sleep before having to get them settled Above. Lyndora left the two of them to get some rest before she would have to transport them all. Karen looked around her suite to make sure she had everything she and Toby would need for their stay. Satisfied, she woke her husband from his slumber and the two headed to the children's room to find their son.

"Gramma!" shouted Erastos.

Pistis looked up from her puzzle to see her grandparents entering the room. "Grandpa!"

"Hello, pumpkins," Karen greeted her grandchildren. Erastos left his toys to get a hug.

Toby glanced away from the Lego building he'd been helping Erastos build. One look at his father's eyes told him that something wasn't right. "Did you need something, dad?"

Robert looked at his youngest and sighed. "Could I have a word with you outside, son?"

"Why don't we play a game?" Karen suggested to the two little ones.

Robert led Toby out into the hallway as Karen distracted the children. He took a deep breath, hating the lie he was about to tell. "Your mother's feeling a little homesick, Toby."

"Yeah?" Toby replied. His mother had been talking about the Above lately.

Robert nodded. "She's going to be visiting her mother for awhile and I'd like you to go with her. Besides, your grandma Barb would be excited to spend some time with her only grandson."

"I thought we were going to be staying here for a week," Toby said, confused.

"Plans change," Robert replied sternly, indicating that there would be no further discussion. "Your mother has already packed a bag for you and your grandmother is expecting you. We'll be leaving shortly."

Robert walked back into the nursery, effectively putting a period on the subject. Looking at his father's back, Toby worked to tamp down his suspicion that his father had just lied to him. The whole story stank like the bog during the rainy season. Why would their plans suddenly change? His father valued order and organization. He'd never been impulsive or foolhardy. For the Goddess' sake, he picked his outfits by the week! However, his father never lied to him and that was enough to recognize the importance of just going along with it. If he needed to know, he would be told the truth. Sighing deeply, Toby went into the nursery to say his goodbyes.

Within the hour, Lyndora transported the family to the Above. Karen spoke with her mother, telling her the story that they had concocted. If her mother was suspicious, she never let on. Instead, she welcomed her daughter and grandson into her home. The pair of them settled in as Robert made his excuses. He hugged his wife tightly before transporting back to the Underground with Lyndora.

"Epifanio better hope I never find him," Robert vowed.

Lyndora nodded, sadly. "Come, let us continue the search."

* * *

Achlys cracked her leather whip against her boot. The sound echoed off the marble covered walls and floor. Looking down upon the bed, she allowed herself a wicked smile. How she enjoyed her conquests! Her current victim was in her favorite position. The dark haired mortal was lying, spread eagle, upon the rich silks of her bed. A gurgled moan escaped his mouth around the gag tied tightly around his head. The man tugged at the restraints around his wrists and ankles, but couldn't free himself from the steel chains.

Another tortured groan pulled her attention away from the bed. The human female she had acquired was pulling at the chains binding her to the wall. Achlys laughed as tears flowed down the girl's reddened cheeks. The whip sailed through the air, snapping across the wall near the girl's head. Achlys' grin widened as she took in the reactions of her captives. Their fear filled the room with a rich, sensual fragrance that excited the Fae. It would only heighten as she prolonged their misery. She began to wander around the room, torturing them with her very nearness.

Passing a mirror, she took in her glorious features. Beautiful flaxen hair flowed down her back in waves, brushing her rounded bottom. The leather bustier pushed her generous assets into obscene proportions. Her skin looked creamy and smooth, making men, and women alike, crave just one taste. Ruby red lips tipped into a smirk as she ran her teal blue eyes over the length of her body. Of course, no one could resist looking at her luscious curves, including Achlys herself.

'Everyone,' she mused, 'except Jareth.'

The thought of the Goblin King made her strike the whip against the unmarred flesh of her thigh, leaving a red welt that stood out on her lily white skin. How could he have chosen that mortal whore over her? They were a perfect match, in and out of bed. She should have been queen, but he left her for 'true love.' Achlys' lips turned down into a disgusted sneer. Just the idea of true love turned her stomach. Love didn't exist. There was only power and Jareth would have been the ideal means to an end.

Achlys prowled over to the male slave. He drew back as far as he could, pressing further into the mattress. Using her dark magic, she stripped him of the mundane garments covering him. She took in the sight of his flaccid organ and shook her head. This would never do. With a wave of her hand, it began to grown large and hard. A wicked, throaty laugh escaped her lips as she straddled his hips and impaled herself on his hot, throbbing shaft.

"Oh, yes!" she gasped, setting a leisurely pace.

Leaning forward, she allowed her nails to dig grooves into his chest. The blood began to flow as Achlys ran her tongue over the marks. The taste of his life force spurred her to move faster and faster, moaning loudly as she felt the pressure building inside of her. Working toward her release, she began to undulate her hips to increase the friction.

Her climax seemed to be eluding her. With a frustrated growl, she whipped her bed slave. Each crack of the whip upon his flesh brought her closer to her orgasm, yet it still would not come. His loud cries increased her pleasure, still her release remained out of reach. There was something niggling at her brain. She tried to ignore it, but it refused to be pushed aside. Reaching down, she stroked her center. The edge of pleasure was just within reach, but she just couldn't get her heated body to cross over into the abyss.

Gritting her teeth, she removed herself from his battered body. She looked over at the female and grinned. Snapping her finger, the bindings disappeared. The poor girl slumped to the floor. Achlys picked her up by the hair and dragged her to the bed. Her naked body trembled as the tears continued to flow. Achlys ran a finger down the girl's wet cheek before bringing it to her lips. The taste of fear energized her and gave her renewed strength. Crawling over the girl, she began to suckle her rosy nipples. The tight buds grew rock hard as she drew her tongue across the tips of her breasts. The girl began to moan as she grew wet with arousal. Achlys buried a finger into the girl's tight channel, causing the girl to buck her hips. The finger began a frantic thrusting that was guaranteed to give pleasure. Achlys could feel the tight canal throbbing with every movement. It wasn't long before the girl was screaming her release.

Achlys removed herself from the girl and took a seat in the plush bedside chair. "Finish him!"

There was no ignoring the order from the cruel, heartless vixen. The girl, mimicking her tutor, climbed upon the young male and took his length within her. Achlys watched the pair on the bed as they succumbed to pleasure. Listening to the sound of their bodies, she began to run her fingers along her heated core. Stroke after stroke, she felt the pleasure building again. Still, that uncomfortable feeling crept in the way of her relief. Something was not right, but what could it be? She didn't have time for this!

"Time!" she shrieked as she finally reached her climax.

After her body finally ceased it's shuddering, she stood and marched over to the bed. The couple was getting close to their own release. Shaking her head, she drew her arm back and threw a black crystal at the pair. They disappeared back into the mortal realm, leaving her in silence. Achlys began to pace as she pondered the change in time's flow. It had to be tied to the royal family. Only they would have the power to manipulate time on this scale. Perhaps things were not as they seemed. This could be her chance to gain power. With a deep laugh, she transformed into a cunning coyote and leapt out the window to explore this new development.

* * *

* For updates, thoughts, and more, check out my homepage (the link is on my profile).


End file.
